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Rumors: Xbox 360 Spring Updates"Motion Sensor"& Game install

kotaku.com — Perhaps the most interesting additions are "Calibration options for motion sensor devices" for the Dashboard and "Support for titles to store installation data on Storage Device for faster loading" for Games. If true, the former would lend further credibility to frequent rumors that Microsoft is planning to introduce a motion controller for Xbox

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  • DiNoZoNE, on 05/14/2008, -24/+163This is update adds MANY often request features as well as some useful surprises. I couldn't be more exited for its release which will hopefully be within the next week or two. I'm sure Major Nelson will make it official in the very near future anyway. Hats off to the Xbox team for vastly improving what is already the best online service on any console! XBL FTW!!!
    • getbusyliving, on 05/14/2008, -9/+39LOL. Breath, man.
      • JakeyG14, on 05/14/2008, -1/+10Haha, I bet the guy had his hand on his heart while reading that back to himself.
      • therightclique, on 05/14/2008, -1/+14*Breathe, sir.
      • dOOBiEx213, on 05/15/2008, -7/+4Haha. He's probably gonna die when he finds out 360 is nearing extinction.
        • OwdenBowden, on 05/15/2008, -0/+3Don't tell me... You bought a PS3?
    • codyp, on 05/14/2008, -8/+2I just thought I would post this at the top
      http://bink.nu/news/xbox-360-quot-newton-quot-moti ...

      Yeah.. its not a rumor.. It hasnt been for a long time.. people are so slow.
      • PhoenixAvatar2, on 05/14/2008, -0/+1I prefer to get my rumors confirmed by more well known blogs that have pictures of the device. Rumors pertaining to the controller like how it would be shown with Banjo-Kazooie are already being proven false, I'm still very skeptical about this.
      • Lux7, on 05/14/2008, -0/+2I don't know if this reduces any credibility this rumor had because it's most likely a typo, but its missing a #17 on the Dashboard/Miscellaneous list.

        "16. Language improvements.
        18. Word censor updated for fields."
    • Licurgo, on 05/14/2008, -7/+0bill?
    • AvidPreatorian, on 05/14/2008, -12/+3you need a girlfriend
    • mnky9800n, on 05/14/2008, -23/+6But Microsoft and Sony will never catch up to Nintendo this time around. It is good to satisfy their fans but they are really trying to steal away Wii purchasers and if you haven't noticed yet, Wii's aren't on the shelf because they are so popular. You can go into any store and buy an Xbox360 or a Playstation 3 (maybe even used at a gamestop) because those consoles didn't bring the heat this time around. When you have your Grandmother jumping up and down in front of the tv holding a Wii-mote you know Nintendo has done something right. I don't see any grandma's playing Gear's of War all day or Metal Gear Solid.
      • Deathrea, on 05/14/2008, -0/+5Then you're not doin' it right.
      • JakeyG14, on 05/14/2008, -3/+29I could give a ***** less about casual gamers, I'm not a "hardcore" gamer but when it comes between choosing MGS4 and Gears or the myriad of crap on the Wii, the former wins every time. I grant that the first party Nintendo titles are awesome as usual, but everything else blows.
        • jrbrewin, on 05/14/2008, -3/+2don't be dissin on the likes of Catz, and Ninjabread man! :-)
      • pixelate, on 05/14/2008, -1/+13The very idea of Nintendo coming out with a LIST of feature updates like this for the Wii is laughable. That should tell you something.

        I already have a fantastic user experience with my 360 and they keep making improvements. If I had a Wii and wasn't interested in Smash Bros. or Mario Kart, it would be collecting dust. It has been a runaway sales success, but everyone I know who has one (lots of people!) don't use it for weeks or months at a time.
        • avatar28, on 05/14/2008, -0/+1I'm the same way. I got lucky and scored one in early 200,7 Feb or so as I recall, when I caught it at Wal-Mart. I've spent all of maybe 20-30 hours on it, the large majority of it on Super Mario Galaxy. The kids have played it a lot more, of course. It's currently hooked up in the playroom to their TV in place of their Game Cube. If a good game comes out that I want to play I will unhook it and take it downstairs to the big screen, but I haven't since, well, since SMG came out I think.

          I might be a little more inclined to play it on my TV if I can get an extra power brick, sensor bar, and a set of component cables so I don't have to move the wiring, but even then I doubt I would do it very often.
      • mike17032, on 05/14/2008, -1/+8You can count the good Wii games on one ***** hand. I have one, and Smash Bros, Mario Kart ect are great, but everything else sucks balls.
      • Velnich, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1They are working to minimize the number of reasons to buy a competitors product over their own through improving their own. I'm ok with them doing this.
      • sanman, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2I love my Wii, but if Microsoft is going for motion-based gaming, then more power to them. It just means more choice for the consumer. If you can have Xbox360 graphics and Wiimote style motion control, then all the better. I'd hope they'd be able to port the titles over, and that other/newer titles would be able to make good use of the motion sensing. But hey, I absolutely think that gaming should head towards motion control.
    • CarzorStelatis, on 05/14/2008, -4/+2And I thought the astroturfers only trolled the OS wars.
    • heathuff23, on 05/14/2008, -2/+2If they release a Hooked on Phonics title, you should be the first in line
    • supaklaw, on 05/14/2008, -1/+1Someone has Ballmer underoos on today!
    • gcauthon, on 05/14/2008, -1/+2I couldn't be more excited about this either... I can't wait until my xbox has a calibration for motion sensor controls. The installation to storage thing is just the icing on the cake. Hooray.
    • Wootstapler, on 05/15/2008, -1/+2L2Grammar
  • DreamVsPs2, on 05/14/2008, -14/+108Looking good. Still missing 16:10 support.
    • Psythik, on 05/14/2008, -13/+25Why are you getting buried?
      It's true, Microsoft is once again screwing over those who use the superior VGA connection.
      • yugiohdan6, on 05/14/2008, -0/+19what about DVI-D and HDMI?
        • CarzorStelatis, on 05/14/2008, -4/+16It can't do 16:10 over those either.
          • natastna2, on 05/14/2008, -2/+7Does anyone know if it is actually possible for them to include 16:10 support now?
          • Wingnut233, on 05/14/2008, -1/+15The only way I could see them implementing it now is by letterboxing the 16:9 signal to fit a 16:10 screen. It might not be the perfect solution, but at least it would give the proper aspect ratio.
      • jrbrewin, on 05/14/2008, -1/+4didn't they pretty much say they weren't ever going to do it? they weren't interested in supporting every resolution supported over vga, and they didn't want to have to worry about 3 aspect ratios. i could be wrong.
    • sgangwisch, on 05/14/2008, -26/+3Umm... don't you mean 16:9?
      • Thundercat1971, on 05/14/2008, -10/+4wow, dugg down. I came here to make the exact same comment. Guess we are out of the loop here.
        • Kicker01, on 05/14/2008, -1/+12Wide screen monitors for the PC are usually 16:10.
          • therightclique, on 05/14/2008, -7/+4Good thing this is a device that is designed for TVs.
          • Kicker01, on 05/14/2008, -0/+4Some people don't have a nice HDTV But they have a nice computer monitor possibly with surround sound for their computer and they would rather use that then hook it up to their regular old TV.
        • SteelFrog, on 05/14/2008, -0/+1416:9 is most HDTV resolutions (1280x720, 1920x1080, etc.)
          16:10 is LCD monitor resolutions (1440x900, 1680x1050, etc.)
          • itsthebrod, on 05/14/2008, -5/+2Well it's a good thing the Xbox 360 is a console that's hooked up to a TV, and not a computer which is hooked up to LCD monitors...
          • Dustmuffins, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2You can get a VGA connector for the 360 to plug into an lcd monitor.
    • rockandrollmark, on 05/14/2008, -0/+39Nope. 16:10 like 1680x1050 and 1440x900
    • cawpin, on 05/14/2008, -17/+7Why would you have a 360 hooked up to a monitor anyway? That doesn't make any sense.
      • crash331, on 05/14/2008, -1/+13Being able to see what you are playing on an Xbox 360? Inconceivable!
      • xkingADROCKx, on 05/14/2008, -0/+6You Fool!
      • jmtest2, on 05/14/2008, -7/+2
        • therightclique, on 05/14/2008, -0/+2No one knows what you are saying. Stop talking like an infant.
      • SteelFrog, on 05/14/2008, -1/+3I've got my XBOX360 connected via HDMI/DVI to my screen while my laptop is connected via VGA. I can easily toggle between both work and play in one convenient location without having to kick my girlfriend off the TV in the living room every time I want to game.
      • latova, on 05/14/2008, -1/+2Real gamers play without a screen.
    • bjames87, on 05/14/2008, -4/+18I've got a beautiful monitor begging for 1680 x 1050 support........come on Microsoft, quit screwing over your customers. We put up with the red lights, now give something back to us. With all the forum posts out there begging for 16:10 they must have heard us by now.
      • therightclique, on 05/14/2008, -0/+6Just use 720p man. None of the games actually support higher resolutions anyway. They're just upscaled. Your monitor should be able to upscale an image.
      • jrbrewin, on 05/14/2008, -1/+4even if they offered 16:10, they wouldn't support all the resolutions. again, it sucks, but then very few games are natively rendered at anything near 1680 anyway. :D
    • bbjr, on 05/14/2008, -1/+6Because I can't afford a TV. Monitors are a lot cheaper, and 1650 X 1080 is pretty sharp, even though it's not 1900 X 1080.
    • J3EBS, on 05/14/2008, -0/+8I'm still trying to figure out why TVs are 16:9 and monitors are 16:10. So far I've heard stupid things like "There's no taskbar on TVs", "The directors want you to see movies in 16:9", and "It has to do with the Golden Ratio".
      • Birchlabs, on 05/14/2008, -0/+3I think I read (although never checked myself; could be wrong) that 16:10 is the smallest ratio with which you can fit two A4 pages side-by-side, which is why it makes sense for computer monitors to use such a ratio.

        And yes, it could be the golden ratio. 1:1.618033989 (ie 10:16) is the most aesthetically pleasing ratio of width to height. Would explain why Apple in particular like to use this ratio for their screens (also checked my iPod's dimensions, it's in golden ratio, too).
        • paranoiabacon, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2And my HP laptop is in 1440x900. Can't give Steve Jobs all the credit.
      • TehMuff1nM4n, on 05/15/2008, -1/+1Hell, my HDTV that I bought a few months ago from Samsung is in 16:10
  • dansmeek, on 05/14/2008, -23/+11in regards to the motion device.... i dont know.
    i think people who want a good wii-style controller already own a wii. and this will just similar to what PS3 did (albeit a bit more thought out) and we all know how motion sensing is going on the ps3. with the exception of a few games, they are mere gimmicks. and there are only a few wii games that really use the device all that well. i wish microsft would use a great development company like rare to make cool FPS (or whatever) rather than spending so much development time on this accessory.
    • gentlemanjack, on 05/14/2008, -5/+3@dansmeek
      For the most part, I agree with you. I doubt the motion device will catch on with retail games but it would be perfect for arcade games. I can barely get my girlfriend to play xbla games but this would help.
      p.s. I gave up on finding a wii
    • Wiinii, on 05/14/2008, -5/+17Sorry, but you are way off base here. Motion controllers are part of the future of gaming, just like rumble and analog sticks before it. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. It is inevitable.

      People do want some games with motion controls, but the Wii only offers that while failing at many other important features of next-gen gaming (realistic graphics, a real online component, voice chat, user friendliness, raw processing power for advanced AI). It also basically force-feeds motion controls on developers, even for games that it is simply not best suited for.

      Even if you only took into consideration the fact that is superior to a gamepad for shooters it is worth offering as an accessory on the 360.

      Comparing it to the PS3's toss-in accelerometers is also laughable, they did nothing more than Microsoft had done many years ago in the Sidewinder Tilt PC Gamepad. It was a last-ditch "we have motion too" toss-in.

      The bottom line is that if they make the controller as an option and some of their major game devs make games for it, it will become the controller for certain games, and that's a good thing.
      • staticneuron, on 05/14/2008, -3/+4So its' ok that MS is offering a motion controller but the sixaxis is laughable? There was the pelican controller for the PS1 that was motion sensing as well that came out before the MS and logitech variants. Hell atari did it first. But in all honesty the Sixaxis has been fine because other than an exception of a few games it has been optional. It had great use in games like flow, heavenly sword, R&C and dark sector. In almost every other game the motion sensing was practically invisible.

        But why am I not surprised that someone would comment here that motion is ok for the 360 yet bad for the PS3.
        • Wiinii, on 05/14/2008, -1/+1I never said it was it was a bad idea. for Sony Sony knows that their current Sixaxis motion controller is a joke, that's why they are working on their own Wiimote knock-off too. That too is inevitable, and a good thing.
        • staticneuron, on 05/14/2008, -1/+1Well I am not sure if it is all about copying as it is their obsession with useless addons. I mean seriously, the sixaxis obviously wasn't a bid to outperform the wiimote becuase it is in the shape of a dual shock. Sony isn't stupid so i really doubt the sixaxis was supposed to be a direct competitor. But as again there are just way to many crazy third party prehipherals that have limited use so i don't see sony chasing those avenues.
      • latova, on 05/14/2008, -2/+2I disagree with some of your definition of a "next gen console".
        Realistic graphics - I thought we already established that graphics != next gen. Developers are spending more time making games pretty then making them fun. Besides, if you want the best in graphics, you'd be getting a PC not a console.
        A real online component. voice chat - I agree with this, the wii is missing these things.
        User friendliness - Uh, Wii has the easiest controls to adapt to (hense its success with casual gamer market), I fail to your point. If anything, its a bit too user friendly and some of the games are losing their edge to the hardcore market.
        raw processing power for advanced AI - 95% of the time the AI is actually lacking because of the developer and not the hardware.
        • Topher06, on 05/14/2008, -2/+5F*cking Wii fanboy. Sorry, I agree that graphics do not always make a good games, but don't limit the develoepr to suck ass graphics or performance because you choose not to implement state of the art hardware in your supposed next-generation system. Gorgeous graphics != sucky games the way a Wii fanbody assumes it does. Tell me MGS4 is not a true next generation game. Stop defending Nintendo and start waking up.
          The problem with the Wii is that its all about comprimises. Want to make a game look good you have to reduce your AI and physics. Want a game with awesome physics, reduce your AI and graphics quality. Why should developers be forced to comprimise when they want to make an innovative next-generation game? Its because Nintendo cheaped out on the hardware and forced people to their arrogant assumptions that games should be fun, but heaven forbid you should make them gorgeous too.
          Also if motion control was the way of the future why is there such a HUGE number of sh*tty games on the Wii. I would call the Wii a winner of this generation of game consoles and say that motion control was the only way forward hands down. But when ONLY Nintendo games are selling well, and mostly because of their nostalgic links to old franchises, and when most other 3rd party games are epic fails, I can't in good faith say that Nintendo is leading this generation of game consoles.
          The reason why most 3rd party games suck is because using motion control as the only way to interface with a game system is proving to be a mistake. Maybe game developers want to make a good game for the Wii, but then they are forced to have to implement a half-assed motion control scheme which consumes their development time to get adequate and thus takes away from making the game pretty or having OTHER innovations. If it was optional, then those developers that choose to use it will take advantage of it, while those that don't want to use it can continue to make good and compelling titles for the platform. Nintendo is the only company sold on motion control, and even many of their games really don't take advantage of motion control. Mario Galaxy was a joke because they took the Mario 3D platforming franchise and slapped a motion controlled cursor over it so you can pick up and fire stars for no goddamned reason other then that was the only way Nintendo could justify bringing motion control to the Mario franchise!
          So, while Microsoft is busy ripping off Nintendo or Sony, depending on how they support motion control, the thing is that Microsoft and Sony both didn't bank on motion control being the best and only way to interface with a game console. In the meantime they are both offering real next generation system and offering a slew of innovative games because they do not force developers to comprimise on quality over performance or forcing them to implement some silly childish waving action to drive their games.
          • latova, on 05/14/2008, -1/+1I stopped reading after "F*cking Wii fanboy". I think positively of the Wii but I know its faults as well (I mentioned them too). Every platform has its faults, but I was responding to one thing Wiinii said, while you took my short response and managed to create 3 paragraphs, much of which I doubt is unrelated to anything I said.

            Next time, calm the ***** down.
      • Topher06, on 05/14/2008, -2/+4Sorry, no, wrong. Motion control is a trivial gimmick that we will get over after this generation of game consoles. While I think that motion control might be part of all future gaming systems, it will never be used for more then party games, interactive games like WiiFit, or some novel and clever use within a game, but not as the ONLY way to play a game. If Nintendo is at the forefront of this supposed "revolution" of game design, why is that that only a handful of Nintendo games, and only a few 3rd party Wii games, are doing even remotely good job implementing motion control? If this was to be the way to change gaming, why is it that both Xbox360 and PS3 are outselling games compared to the Wii and why does MOST WIii games suck ass.
        • Syphon8, on 05/14/2008, -2/+3Why are Wiis outselling PS3s and 360s?
          • staticneuron, on 05/14/2008, -1/+1It is cheaper and appealing to a different crowd. The wii is less intimidating and more alluring to people who would rather stay away from the usual teenager obsession they see. And the imput totally sells non-gamers. Where as someone who is used to using a controller could probably would play better on a controller, these new gamers find it more fun to swing their arms instead of press a button. It also changes your perspective on what you are doing. When I am in serious mode or competative mode I use a controller but the wii mote comes out when I want to have fun and relax.
    • GeorgeStone2, on 05/14/2008, -8/+6How can you say its been more thought out when you haven't even played with the 360's motion controller.
      I bet its going to suck as much as the PS3s does.

      Anyone played the sixaxis GTA tutorial thingy? OH MY GOD.
      I would rather use my penis to play the game than use the sixaxis.
    • directive0, on 05/14/2008, -1/+7Motion gaming eh? Sure it's cool, but in terms of a revolution it's really not that great for anything other then a few sports games and maybe as a driving replacement. I liked excite truck, and I hear mario kart is alright. But honestly, point and shoot is the number one thing MS and Sony should be ripping off Nintendo imo.
      • djhindsight, on 05/14/2008, -0/+2ding! ding! Exactly, pointing is the best part about the wii. If MS or Sony could improve that aspect I would run out and buy it in an instant.
  • estvir, on 05/14/2008, -15/+22Wow. So many useful and good changes -- if this is real, of course, but from the past leaks there has tended to be a fair amount of truth.

    Faster loading of themes? Thank goodness, it has been incredibly slow for so long.
    Pre-load games library? Yes!
    Remove payment details? That'll be good to get rid of these 2 old credit cards. D:
    Windows Live Mail integration would be awesome, especially if it notifies you while using your 360 that you've received an email.

    And so on.. Please be real.
    • CarzorStelatis, on 05/14/2008, -2/+5The competition agencies (esp. the EU) might not let them integrate Hotmail unless they offered the option to check Yahoo or Gmail as well. Product tieing and all that.
    • WhereAmI, on 05/14/2008, -7/+6So you deny it when I say the blades are slow but when an update comes around saying its going to be "fixed" you acknowledge it?
      • estvir, on 05/15/2008, -0/+3You said that? Who are you anyway? I never said anything about the Blades in my post, all I'm talking about is the little part where it loads the list of themes.

        The Blades are fast for me except maybe in some odd settings like when I hit the Guide button as soon as I've put a game or movie in.
  • Tophillious, on 05/14/2008, -3/+262"14. Long descriptions of items on Marketplace can be scrolled using right stick."

    It probably sounds stupid, but waiting for the descriptions to automatically scroll was driving me mad >:(
    • KingGoonie, on 05/14/2008, -3/+27Not stupid, I felt the exact same way.

      Also think, not sure if its added, that we should be able to preview themes and pictures before viewing them... unless there is a way to do that I don't know about. i mean when you go to a picture pack, have the pictuers you get there, not in no tiny thumb if thats what they have at the tiny corner on top of screen (And my TV is 56inches diagonal and its tiny) But big enough so you can clearly see each picture, fill the box with the pictures instead of the descriptions... they are worth 1,000 words... same thing for themes. This has caused me to not purchase them at times.
    • FFXIfrohike, on 05/14/2008, -0/+14YES! This always annoyed me as well. First noticed it when I was purchasing GH song packs.
      • Cloud7654, on 05/14/2008, -0/+3Same. I always wanted to scroll down to see if it was a master track or a cover but I always had to wait.

        >_
    • yournamehere, on 05/14/2008, -0/+5I wanted this one for so long. It made sense .. right stick for right side content description.
    • mephitix, on 05/14/2008, -0/+4Yeah I actually thought this was one of the few annoying bugs with Marketplace... from day 1 on XBL I expected this to work. Finally!
    • rory2267, on 05/14/2008, -1/+1"fudding myself stupid and bloody loving it"- i see you're a fan of extras?
  • TastyLamp, on 05/14/2008, -4/+56Hope this for real - being able to rip from a USB drive would be great.
    • synyster, on 05/14/2008, -8/+12unfortunately, i don't think m$ will let you be able to rip from a USB drive in 360's life time
      • tomz17, on 05/14/2008, -3/+17Really? It's in the feature list... You can copy unprotected media from a USB device to the proprietary storage. This is new!

        (I believe you were probably thinking about protected media content, or signed games)
        • Thorpe, on 05/14/2008, -0/+3Don't see why not. You can use a picture from a USB device and have it as your background (it even stores it on the official storage device too).
      • RetepNamenots, on 05/14/2008, -2/+8You can rip from CDs to the HDD...
        • Misos, on 05/14/2008, -1/+6Yes, but you cannot (currently) rip MP3s from a USB HDD—something many of us have more of than CDs.
          • therightclique, on 05/14/2008, -6/+1I'm in serious doubt as to whether you know what "rip" means. "Rip" does not equal "copy".
      • Eparause, on 05/14/2008, -5/+4Does $ony let you do that on their P$3?
        • Tahiri, on 05/14/2008, -2/+5Yes. You can even copy them off the PS3 to USB. You can even copy save games to USB devices. Have since day 1. This is also why MS unlocked the ability to play videos off USB devices so close to PS3s launch
      • rocke86, on 05/14/2008, -0/+4I thought the same about playing divx. This can actually help MS by encouraging users to purchase the pricey 120gb drive for more space.
  • Sniper4790, on 05/14/2008, -2/+13I would use so many of these new features! I hope its real.
  • Talus, on 05/14/2008, -2/+37Scroll through description text with right stick .. FINALLY!

    I also hope that the Xbox Live Vision and mic support for Live Messenger are true too!
  • MalkyMalc, on 05/14/2008, -13/+92I'm quite happy with my non-motion sensing controller, and I'm not looking forward to every second game having some contrived look-maw-we-done-programmed-the-motion-sensing feature.
    • aladrin, on 05/14/2008, -3/+29I'm guessing people that dugg you down don't have a PS3, or they'd know exactly what you're talking about. There's a reason that GTA4 has sixaxis off by default.
      • mywhitenoise, on 05/14/2008, -5/+19I have a PS3 and Wii, I can't stand motion controls.
        • popfrogs, on 05/14/2008, -2/+14You bought a Wii but hate motion controls? That's all it's got going for it. *head asplodes*
          • mywhitenoise, on 05/14/2008, -3/+8Well it really doesn't have anything going for it. I bought it on launch, I thought it would live up to SOME of it's hype.
      • NCg8r, on 05/14/2008, -1/+12The SixAxis seems to be a giant waste of time and resources on my PS3. It's KINDA cool to fly the chopper in GTA4 using the motion-sensing, but only if you aren't trying to fly to a particular place anytime soon...
        • WhereAmI, on 05/14/2008, -3/+4My favorite use other than Warhawk for the SIXAXIS is controlling Niko while drunk.
      • staticneuron, on 05/14/2008, -3/+4The uses in Ratchet and clank were good and the aftertouch in games like heavenly sword and dark sector are hanle very well. My favorite use for the sixaxis was flow though.

        Granted I prefer to have motion off, but to say that it hasn't been done well would be just ignorant.
    • TremorX, on 05/14/2008, -5/+19True. If I wanted to flail around like a retard I'd knock the layers of dust off of my Wii and go nuts.
      • pixelate, on 05/14/2008, -15/+14Wii = epic flail
        • mywhitenoise, on 05/14/2008, -6/+12It is, but i'm still burying you for saying "epic fail".
        • avatar28, on 05/15/2008, -0/+6Ha! I thought it was an excellent pun. Dugg up.
  • CollapseControl, on 05/14/2008, -8/+25I really hope that this list would be real, but last update there was a whole list that leaked and pretty much majority of it was false. I mean, I can see a lot of this stuff being in the update, but the biggest one of them all, the Group Chat, I find it hard to believe. But hopefully i'm wrong and this list makes everyone happy.
    • SPARTACVS, on 05/14/2008, -2/+3They SKIPPED the Spring update, and they've never missed a season before... they will have some big things in store for us as a reward for patience I think. Group chat is sounding more and more likely.
      • CollapseControl, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2Not sure where you've been but they never skipped an update, there has been 2 a year. The last one was in December and that is where they added the Xbox Originals. I've had a 360 since launch and knew about every update since.
  • Someprogr, on 05/14/2008, -30/+7Amazing! First Blu-Ray and now this! Xbox is finally starting to get in the same competitive market as the Playstation 3. Good going Microsoft, hang in there!
    • bejayel, on 05/14/2008, -1/+9WTF are you yapping on about blu-ray for? I thought those were all just rumors.
    • CarzorStelatis, on 05/14/2008, -5/+3Funny, because there are still a helluva lot more 360s out there than PS3s, even with all the people just buying the PS3 as a media player with no intention of ever playing games on it. So really, if anyone's "hanging in there" it's the company which is in last place, namely Sony.
      • Someprogr, on 05/14/2008, -5/+2Wrong, Wrong Wrong! Do your research next time before you make another ignorant comment! There are more PS3s sold than Xbox 360s! Nobody buys Xbox in Japan, idiot, its a PS3 market over there.
        • bejayel, on 05/14/2008, -0/+2umm what? There are like 6 million more 360 sold than PS3's...i think. maybe 7 million.
    • therightclique, on 05/14/2008, -0/+2Microsoft has denied the Blu Ray thing on a couple of occasions. That doesn't mean it won't happen, but it does mean you don't have an excuse to be excited about it.
  • OaklandNative, on 05/14/2008, -1/+52I just wanna be able to play all my videos - in whatever format - through media extender with no hassle.
    • screwtheman, on 05/14/2008, -1/+8The streaming via LAN (Media > Video > Your PC with Media Sharing on in WMP (or Mac running Connect360) is waaaaaay better and more flexible than that Media Center crapola. I watch videos off a big, fat USB drive over using Media Center.
      • OaklandNative, on 05/14/2008, -0/+4Would you mind providing a link to instructions? I wouldn't even know what to google to figure out how to do that.
        Thanks
      • therightclique, on 05/14/2008, -7/+4too bad you have to have Vista to do the media sharing in Windows Media Player. and Tversity is fundamentally broken out of the box, so using anything other than a flash drive is not really possible for XP users.
        • Remmiz, on 05/14/2008, -0/+8Almost....www.xbox.com/pcsetup
        • richardstaboner, on 05/14/2008, -0/+6false, all you need is WMP11 to do media sharing on XP. and i must say it works beautifully.
        • estvir, on 05/15/2008, -0/+3WMP and Zune work on XP.
      • byronm, on 05/14/2008, -0/+4MCE does have tv, so i can't give it up. Just wish the mpeg profiles were enabled on MCE for the 360 so i wouldn't have to transcode.
    • doktorrocket, on 05/14/2008, -1/+11The wife and I wanted to watch a lecture that was up on youtube. Rather than huddle around the laptop, I decided we'd just watch it on the big screen via the 360. So....

      1) Grab .FLV file using firefox plugin
      2) Transcode to something 360 will play.
      3) Learn that "things 360 will play" is a larger group than "things that can be streamed to the 360"
      4) Skip the streaming step, put video on a thumbdrive and just stick that in the front of the 360.

      It worked, but it was a lot more effort than it should have been. Better streaming / more file type support, or even just a friggin' web browser blade on the 360 would be nice.
      • jeet404, on 05/14/2008, -0/+6Have you heard of Tversity? If you run WME or Vista you can have it convert and stream right away...granted you need a good cpu to do HD. But if you have the cpu power then it is piece of cake.
        • OaklandNative, on 05/14/2008, -0/+2I've tried Runtime360 (Transcode360) but have had nothing but problems with that thing. It doesn't install properly and is a pain to uninstall. Haven't checked out Tversity. I'll have to check it out. Any other suggestions are much appreciated as I have spent way too many hours with no results. I am running Vista btw.
      • sinurgy, on 05/14/2008, -0/+7You and the wife wanted to watch a "lecture" together....riiiiight!
  • Skywise, on 05/14/2008, -5/+42How about a friggin' web service to transfer licenses of XBoxLive games from one console to another.. y'know... like when your 360 DIES?!?!
    • screwtheman, on 05/14/2008, -2/+11They fixed that. You don't need a web service to do it. You just have to use the console that Microsoft gives you, not a new one from the store.
      http://www.xbox.com/en-US/support/systemuse/xbox36 ...
      • pixelate, on 05/14/2008, -0/+4I got impatient and bought a new 360 while waiting for mine to be fixed. Is there a good reason why I shouldn't be able to recover my licenses to this console (and allow them to be revoked from any others)? I don't think so.

        Still something they need to fix, especially because this involves bought and paid for content.
    • Memnochxx, on 05/14/2008, -1/+5Mine broke and all my content works on this new unit they shipped me (for free).
    • LOLSteelBullet, on 05/14/2008, -2/+4You do know you can just redownload the games using your gamertag to get the licenses right...
      • markIIdork, on 05/15/2008, -0/+4This only works if you're online. The content doesn't work offline. My core died, I sent it in for repairs, bought an Elite and sold the refurb core to a friend. he can play my old games on his 360 when offline without my gamertag, but I can't play my games on my new Elite when offline with my gamertag. Now his refurb is dying and he wanted an elite too, so he's going to be in the same situation as me.

        This needs to be fixed other then calling xbox support 10 times in order to do it.
        • LOLSteelBullet, on 05/17/2008, -0/+2I don't know whats wrong with your xbox but my first one RRoD'd and I got my new one. I redownloaded the games and can play on any profile without being connected to live.
        • markIIdork, on 05/22/2008, -0/+1You used the one MS sent back to you, I bought another one, and gave the replacement one to my friend. So he can play my content on his 360, the one MS replaced for my RRoD, but I can't play that content that I paid for on my new, different console. Even though The console is registered in my name and the only gamertag that uses it is mine.
          Nothing is wrong with my new 360, what the problem is here is the DRM that MS puts on the content you download from the marketplace.
      • smergs, on 05/15/2008, -0/+3I've got my replacement console sent to me from Microsoft once mine died. I didn't even go out and buy a different console and I still can't play my games offline. Also, one of my games won't play period even when I am online. My console was replaced in March and I still can't play the games that I payed for when offline. This is still a problem, it's not fixed.
  • Zachari, on 05/14/2008, -9/+4From the rumors swirling around the motion controller, it uses LED like the Wii instead of just accelerometers like the PS3. I think, though, that playing The Force Unleashed with awesome lightsaber abilities would me fun as hell, and I wouldn't have to buy a Wii!
    • cawpin, on 05/14/2008, -0/+11The Wii controller uses accelerometers as well as the LEDs. The LEDs are simply for pointing, not motion sensing.
      • Zachari, on 05/14/2008, -1/+1I know that. I was saying that INSTEAD of just using accelerometers, they're also incorporating LED into it making it a better stand-alone device like the Wii's controller. If you're going to knock off the Wii, do it right.
  • smergs, on 05/14/2008, -7/+7ehh.. The list of rumors that went with the fall update turned out to be just that. I'm not going to go back and check, but I'm thinking the list of actual updates/changes was about 85 - 90% different than what the rumored list had. Also, don't forget how long it took for the last update to come out. I think it came out just a few days before the official (North America/US) start of Winter. I wouldn't be surprised to see this update come out closer to summer since the last one was pushed back so late.

    That said, I hope it is soon and I hope some of these rumors are true!!!
  • cardyology, on 05/14/2008, -17/+10My 360 just RRoD :(
    • motivatedguy, on 05/14/2008, -1/+9I thought that update was coming this fall?
  • Ducksa, on 05/14/2008, -8/+3I was really hoping for faster guide/dashboard navigation. Hitting Y 20x while waiting for the guide to open is just painful.
  • igotdvds, on 05/14/2008, -1/+13Can someone please post the list, stupid work connection has the link blocked.
    • Dgen_X, on 05/14/2008, -2/+29 Xbox LIVE
      1. Option to delay sign-in to Xbox LIVE upon booting console (to allow user to set Online Status).
      2. Option to promote Child Account from Family Settings.
      3. Disallow Child Accounts (over 18) to override Family Settings by launching Privacy Settings through a title.
      4. Option in Family Settings for Child Accounts to enable child-oriented/non-mature advertisements.
      5. Introduce a group chat (4) for Private Chat and conferences through Video Chat.
      6. Support to indicate media being watched to gamercard status (video content from Marketplace only).
      7. Extend height for Bio field in Personal Profile, easier navigation through text.
      8. More fields present in Personal Profile - recent achievements, interests, games, movies, links, custom section.
      9. Compact Personal Profile for new fields (navigating to field will open it up).
      10. Mandatory option to delete duplicate titles from gamercard (excludes Games for Windows - LIVE). User disconnected from Xbox LIVE when booting any title until action complete.
      11. Option to remove payment information from gamertag.
      12. New payment methods for international users.
      13. Download History on Account Management better organized - games, genre, type, download date, miscellaneous.
      14. Long descriptions of items on Marketplace can be scrolled using right stick.
      15. Better organization of free content on Marketplace.
      16. Option to 'ping' when testing connection.
      17. Allow re-connection to Xbox LIVE if Ethernet cable is re-inserted whilst powered on.
      18. New strip colors available to developers, staff gamercards.
      19. New corner icon available to ambassadors.
      20. Re-introduce Messages button for Inside Xbox updates only.
      21. Option to store up to 10 messages permanently on server (excludes invites, status messages).
      22. Increase character limit for text messages between friends only.
      23. Option to disable invites from non-friends or all players.
      24. Option to disable invites from titles not on gamercard (excludes demos).
      25. Option to have smaller items moved up in Active Downloads.
      26. Automatically re-connect to Xbox LIVE if disconnected unexpectedly (set intervals).
      27. Option to download gamer picture (if available) from a gamercard being viewed.
      28. Display random tips to replace static text on Xbox LIVE and Games blades.
      29. New button on Marketplace for optional dashboard features - uses Storage Device memory.
      30. Option to donate Microsoft Points to anybody with a Windows Live ID.
      31. Option to purchase Membership for charities (includes benefits).
      32. Integrate file-sharing for selected titles on Xbox LIVE and Games for Windows - LIVE.
      33. Disable notifications to friends of user repeatedly signing into service (set period).
      34. Option to see 'snippet' of text message in notification.
      35. Windows Live Mail integration - includes support for Xbox LIVE Vision.
      36. Web feeds integration - text, images, audio. Includes support for specific item codes on Marketplace.
      37. Option to display gamer picture or standard picture as display picture in Windows Live Messenger.
      38. Support for headset, Xbox LIVE Vision in Windows Live Messenger.
      39. Support for limited 'winks' that display on dashboard interface. Option to disable 'winks' and 'nudges' added.
      40. Notifications separate from Windows Live Messenger to Xbox 360 notifications.
      41. Disable multiple languages from being used in any Xbox LIVE editable fields.

      Games
      1. Option to delete titles from gamercard with 0 gamerscore and 0 achievements (excludes some titles that will be re-added to launch another title).
      2. Organize My Games at the Games Library section better (includes disc-based titles) - sort by genre, platform (Games for Windows - LIVE), percentage completion.
      3. Support to display friends leaderboards for disc-based titles.
      4. Show dates of an achievement unlocked when comparing.
      5. Preload Games Library upon dashboard bootup for faster access.
      6. Game updates now shown as items in Memory, increased amount of updates on Storage Device.
      7. Option to delete game updates, removed 'cheat code' as no longer needed.
      8. Support for more titles to display banner when accessing guide in-game.
      9. Option to re-introduce awarded gamer pictures from titles that do not have their own re-introduce feature (requires saved game).
      10. Disable gamer pictures from being awarded from trials.
      11. Support for titles to store installation data on Storage Device for faster loading.
      12. Synchronization to achievements offline/online that were deleted and then re-added from developers.

      Media
      1. Option to hold LT and RT for rewinding/fast-forwarding video content.
      2. Option to delete individual music tracks from storage device.
      3. Option to rip music CD at different quality.
      4. Copy non-protected files (pictures, music, videos) from USB storage devices, CDs and computers to proprietary storage devices.
      5. Support for menu, top-menu features on video content downloaded from Marketplace.
      6. Section added for audio delivered through feeds (podcasts). Option to stream, download to Storage Device.
      7. Support added for video titles/description to gamercard status.

      Dashboard/Miscellaneous
      1. Option to navigate quickly out of several menus back to respective blade home (applies to Games, Media, System).
      2. New blade trim styles added.
      3. Introduce expanded Inside Xbox as a portal to news, weather, entertainment, help and community features.
      4. New sounds for various functions (notifications, blades, navigation).
      5. Calibration options for display/sound.
      6. Calibration options for motion sensor devices.
      7. New effects for Xbox LIVE Vision and dashboard background.
      8. Disable changing of Theme when on Memory to prevent 'hanging'.
      9. Preload recent, limited items upon dashboard bootup on Memory.
      10. Faster loading of Themes section on guide.
      11. Option to see what items will not work offline due to DRM license changing from Memory.
      12. Option to automatically associate new DRM to items downloaded for free.
      13. Indicate 'charging' status on guide when Play & Charge kit is connected.
      14. Option to change text colors on guide to better contrast some backgrounds.
      16. Language improvements.
      18. Word censor updated for fields.
      19. Privacy Settings/Family Settings updated for new features.
      20. Voice, picture messages can be read at Xbox.com (Gold accounts).
    • OdinsFury, on 05/14/2008, -15/+3 Xbox LIVE
      1. Option to delay sign-in to Xbox LIVE upon booting console (to allow user to set Online Status).
      2. Option to promote Child Account from Family Settings.
      3. Disallow Child Accounts (over 18) to override Family Settings by launching Privacy Settings through a title.
      4. Option in Family Settings for Child Accounts to enable child-oriented/non-mature advertisements.
      5. Introduce a group chat (4) for Private Chat and conferences through Video Chat.
      6. Support to indicate media being watched to gamercard status (video content from Marketplace only).
      7. Extend height for Bio field in Personal Profile, easier navigation through text.
      8. More fields present in Personal Profile - recent achievements, interests, games, movies, links, custom section.
      9. Compact Personal Profile for new fields (navigating to field will open it up).
      10. Mandatory option to delete duplicate titles from gamercard (excludes Games for Windows - LIVE). User disconnected from Xbox LIVE when booting any title until action complete.
      11. Option to remove payment information from gamertag.
      12. New payment methods for international users.
      13. Download History on Account Management better organized - games, genre, type, download date, miscellaneous.
      14. Long descriptions of items on Marketplace can be scrolled using right stick.
      15. Better organization of free content on Marketplace.
      16. Option to 'ping' when testing connection.
      17. Allow re-connection to Xbox LIVE if Ethernet cable is re-inserted whilst powered on.
      18. New strip colors available to developers, staff gamercards.
      19. New corner icon available to ambassadors.
      20. Re-introduce Messages button for Inside Xbox updates only.
      21. Option to store up to 10 messages permanently on server (excludes invites, status messages).
      22. Increase character limit for text messages between friends only.
      23. Option to disable invites from non-friends or all players.
      24. Option to disable invites from titles not on gamercard (excludes demos).
      25. Option to have smaller items moved up in Active Downloads.
      26. Automatically re-connect to Xbox LIVE if disconnected unexpectedly (set intervals).
      27. Option to download gamer picture (if available) from a gamercard being viewed.
      28. Display random tips to replace static text on Xbox LIVE and Games blades.
      29. New button on Marketplace for optional dashboard features - uses Storage Device memory.
      30. Option to donate Microsoft Points to anybody with a Windows Live ID.
      31. Option to purchase Membership for charities (includes benefits).
      32. Integrate file-sharing for selected titles on Xbox LIVE and Games for Windows - LIVE.
      33. Disable notifications to friends of user repeatedly signing into service (set period).
      34. Option to see 'snippet' of text message in notification.
      35. Windows Live Mail integration - includes support for Xbox LIVE Vision.
      36. Web feeds integration - text, images, audio. Includes support for specific item codes on Marketplace.
      37. Option to display gamer picture or standard picture as display picture in Windows Live Messenger.
      38. Support for headset, Xbox LIVE Vision in Windows Live Messenger.
      39. Support for limited 'winks' that display on dashboard interface. Option to disable 'winks' and 'nudges' added.
      40. Notifications separate from Windows Live Messenger to Xbox 360 notifications.
      41. Disable multiple languages from being used in any Xbox LIVE editable fields.

      Games
      1. Option to delete titles from gamercard with 0 gamerscore and 0 achievements (excludes some titles that will be re-added to launch another title).
      2. Organize My Games at the Games Library section better (includes disc-based titles) - sort by genre, platform (Games for Windows - LIVE), percentage completion.
      3. Support to display friends leaderboards for disc-based titles.
      4. Show dates of an achievement unlocked when comparing.
      5. Preload Games Library upon dashboard bootup for faster access.
      6. Game updates now shown as items in Memory, increased amount of updates on Storage Device.
      7. Option to delete game updates, removed 'cheat code' as no longer needed.
      8. Support for more titles to display banner when accessing guide in-game.
      9. Option to re-introduce awarded gamer pictures from titles that do not have their own re-introduce feature (requires saved game).
      10. Disable gamer pictures from being awarded from trials.
      11. Support for titles to store installation data on Storage Device for faster loading.
      12. Synchronization to achievements offline/online that were deleted and then re-added from developers.

      Media
      1. Option to hold LT and RT for rewinding/fast-forwarding video content.
      2. Option to delete individual music tracks from storage device.
      3. Option to rip music CD at different quality.
      4. Copy non-protected files (pictures, music, videos) from USB storage devices, CDs and computers to proprietary storage devices.
      5. Support for menu, top-menu features on video content downloaded from Marketplace.
      6. Section added for audio delivered through feeds (podcasts). Option to stream, download to Storage Device.
      7. Support added for video titles/description to gamercard status.

      Dashboard/Miscellaneous
      1. Option to navigate quickly out of several menus back to respective blade home (applies to Games, Media, System).
      2. New blade trim styles added.
      3. Introduce expanded Inside Xbox as a portal to news, weather, entertainment, help and community features.
      4. New sounds for various functions (notifications, blades, navigation).
      5. Calibration options for display/sound.
      6. Calibration options for motion sensor devices.
      7. New effects for Xbox LIVE Vision and dashboard background.
      8. Disable changing of Theme when on Memory to prevent 'hanging'.
      9. Preload recent, limited items upon dashboard bootup on Memory.
      10. Faster loading of Themes section on guide.
      11. Option to see what items will not work offline due to DRM license changing from Memory.
      12. Option to automatically associate new DRM to items downloaded for free.
      13. Indicate 'charging' status on guide when Play & Charge kit is connected.
      14. Option to change text colors on guide to better contrast some backgrounds.
      16. Language improvements.
      18. Word censor updated for fields.
      19. Privacy Settings/Family Settings updated for new features.
      20. Voice, picture messages can be read at Xbox.com (Gold accounts).
    • spinxter, on 05/14/2008, -8/+1Oh, what the hell. Let me pile on:

      Xbox LIVE
      1. Option to delay sign-in to Xbox LIVE upon booting console (to allow user to set Online Status).
      2. Option to promote Child Account from Family Settings.
      3. Disallow Child Accounts (over 18) to override Family Settings by launching Privacy Settings through a title.
      4. Option in Family Settings for Child Accounts to enable child-oriented/non-mature advertisements.
      5. Introduce a group chat (4) for Private Chat and conferences through Video Chat.
      6. Support to indicate media being watched to gamercard status (video content from Marketplace only).
      7. Extend height for Bio field in Personal Profile, easier navigation through text.
      8. More fields present in Personal Profile - recent achievements, interests, games, movies, links, custom section.
      9. Compact Personal Profile for new fields (navigating to field will open it up).
      10. Mandatory option to delete duplicate titles from gamercard (excludes Games for Windows - LIVE). User disconnected from Xbox LIVE when booting any title until action complete.
      11. Option to remove payment information from gamertag.
      12. New payment methods for international users.
      13. Download History on Account Management better organized - games, genre, type, download date, miscellaneous.
      14. Long descriptions of items on Marketplace can be scrolled using right stick.
      15. Better organization of free content on Marketplace.
      16. Option to 'ping' when testing connection.
      17. Allow re-connection to Xbox LIVE if Ethernet cable is re-inserted whilst powered on.
      18. New strip colors available to developers, staff gamercards.
      19. New corner icon available to ambassadors.
      20. Re-introduce Messages button for Inside Xbox updates only.
      21. Option to store up to 10 messages permanently on server (excludes invites, status messages).
      22. Increase character limit for text messages between friends only.
      23. Option to disable invites from non-friends or all players.
      24. Option to disable invites from titles not on gamercard (excludes demos).
      25. Option to have smaller items moved up in Active Downloads.
      26. Automatically re-connect to Xbox LIVE if disconnected unexpectedly (set intervals).
      27. Option to download gamer picture (if available) from a gamercard being viewed.
      28. Display random tips to replace static text on Xbox LIVE and Games blades.
      29. New button on Marketplace for optional dashboard features - uses Storage Device memory.
      30. Option to donate Microsoft Points to anybody with a Windows Live ID.
      31. Option to purchase Membership for charities (includes benefits).
      32. Integrate file-sharing for selected titles on Xbox LIVE and Games for Windows - LIVE.
      33. Disable notifications to friends of user repeatedly signing into service (set period).
      34. Option to see 'snippet' of text message in notification.
      35. Windows Live Mail integration - includes support for Xbox LIVE Vision.
      36. Web feeds integration - text, images, audio. Includes support for specific item codes on Marketplace.
      37. Option to display gamer picture or standard picture as display picture in Windows Live Messenger.
      38. Support for headset, Xbox LIVE Vision in Windows Live Messenger.
      39. Support for limited 'winks' that display on dashboard interface. Option to disable 'winks' and 'nudges' added.
      40. Notifications separate from Windows Live Messenger to Xbox 360 notifications.
      41. Disable multiple languages from being used in any Xbox LIVE editable fields.

      Games
      1. Option to delete titles from gamercard with 0 gamerscore and 0 achievements (excludes some titles that will be re-added to launch another title).
      2. Organize My Games at the Games Library section better (includes disc-based titles) - sort by genre, platform (Games for Windows - LIVE), percentage completion.
      3. Support to display friends leaderboards for disc-based titles.
      4. Show dates of an achievement unlocked when comparing.
      5. Preload Games Library upon dashboard bootup for faster access.
      6. Game updates now shown as items in Memory, increased amount of updates on Storage Device.
      7. Option to delete game updates, removed 'cheat code' as no longer needed.
      8. Support for more titles to display banner when accessing guide in-game.
      9. Option to re-introduce awarded gamer pictures from titles that do not have their own re-introduce feature (requires saved game).
      10. Disable gamer pictures from being awarded from trials.
      11. Support for titles to store installation data on Storage Device for faster loading.
      12. Synchronization to achievements offline/online that were deleted and then re-added from developers.

      Media
      1. Option to hold LT and RT for rewinding/fast-forwarding video content.
      2. Option to delete individual music tracks from storage device.
      3. Option to rip music CD at different quality.
      4. Copy non-protected files (pictures, music, videos) from USB storage devices, CDs and computers to proprietary storage devices.
      5. Support for menu, top-menu features on video content downloaded from Marketplace.
      6. Section added for audio delivered through feeds (podcasts). Option to stream, download to Storage Device.
      7. Support added for video titles/description to gamercard status.

      Dashboard/Miscellaneous
      1. Option to navigate quickly out of several menus back to respective blade home (applies to Games, Media, System).
      2. New blade trim styles added.
      3. Introduce expanded Inside Xbox as a portal to news, weather, entertainment, help and community features.
      4. New sounds for various functions (notifications, blades, navigation).
      5. Calibration options for display/sound.
      6. Calibration options for motion sensor devices.
      7. New effects for Xbox LIVE Vision and dashboard background.
      8. Disable changing of Theme when on Memory to prevent 'hanging'.
      9. Preload recent, limited items upon dashboard bootup on Memory.
      10. Faster loading of Themes section on guide.
      11. Option to see what items will not work offline due to DRM license changing from Memory.
      12. Option to automatically associate new DRM to items downloaded for free.
      13. Indicate 'charging' status on guide when Play & Charge kit is connected.
      14. Option to change text colors on guide to better contrast some backgrounds.
      16. Language improvements.
      18. Word censor updated for fields.
      19. Privacy Settings/Family Settings updated for new features.
      20. Voice, picture messages can be read at Xbox.com (Gold accounts).
  • synyster, on 05/14/2008, -4/+4can't wait the updates
  • YouRookies, on 05/14/2008, -22/+19Wait...but all this time the Xbots have been saying the Wii controls are a gimick and that PS3's game installs are a waste of time.
    • Speed, on 05/14/2008, -8/+18The Wii controls are a gimmick and the first thing I'd do if the 360 got them would be to disable them.
      • krd1979, on 05/15/2008, -1/+4Yeah, and analog sticks are a gimmick too, and so are shoulder buttons, not to mention force feedback (rumble), start buttons, wireless controllers, etc...
        • estvir, on 05/15/2008, -1/+2You're an idiot.
        • Speed, on 05/15/2008, -1/+1Difference: those are all useful (and huge difference between force feedback and rumble), where as the motion sensing isn't useful at all for playing games, it's just annoying.
    • 24imac, on 05/14/2008, -9/+4Wii controls are a gimmick ( I have a Wii) and PS3 is a waste of time (Have a BD Player) I want my Xbox to be an Xbox, not a WiS3
    • twistadias, on 05/14/2008, -3/+2the PS3 install are actually good, but only if it doesn't take you 10-15 minutes installing a game AND that the developers should give you an OPTION whether to install or not. Seeing that the 360 DVD drive read speed is faster than bluray, i do hope the installations are fast
    • iruber1337, on 05/14/2008, -1/+2Actually I will be pretty angry if they make installing games required because I only have a 20gig and decent library of TV shows, and XBLA games which has already killed most of my HD. Furthermore I want to put the game in and have it simply start and play...updates aren't too bad since there could be shoddy beta testing that needs fixes but waiting a half hour for a 5gb install? That's alright, I can live with 30 second load times (they work perfectly for grabbing a drink or something anyway).
      It's only a matter of time before you'll need to update to play online but that update won't be on the developers website and you must scour forty 3rd-party sites and register just to finally get it.
  • SSCrow, on 05/14/2008, -1/+51I've been wanting Group Chat for a long time.
    • cJw314, on 05/14/2008, -7/+7No *****; how the hell could they not implement this in the first place?

      :head desk:
    • 24imac, on 05/14/2008, -1/+5Group chat is going to rock.
    • BackEnThaWomb, on 05/14/2008, -0/+11now a couple of friends and i can all talk while kicking ass in COD without having to hear the whining...
    • BedPost, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1I've been wanting this since 2006. Better late than never, eh?
  • TheTjalian, on 05/14/2008, -9/+9Damnit, I was hoping they'd add support for Debit Cards or Paypal, I really hate having to walk down to a store to buy content online (as it defeats the purpose of having it all online for the end user), and I'm not getting the devil's plastic just so I can occasionally get the odd XBLA game.
    • Sabredog, on 05/14/2008, -0/+11Some debit cards are supported already. I use my Visa Electron debit to buy a lot of stuff from XBL.
    • GlitchEnzo, on 05/14/2008, -1/+7You should talk to your bank. Usually you can set up a debit card to function as a credit card. I use my debit card on the 360 and it just sees it as a Visa.
      • cawpin, on 05/14/2008, -0/+5All debit cards with a Visa or Mastercard logo will work as credit cards. They have to, to be considered a Visa or Mastercard.
    • SpectralSounds, on 05/14/2008, -0/+9My Visa Debit card works just fine on XBL.
    • 24imac, on 05/14/2008, -0/+2You can also walk into most check cashing places and buy pre-paid credit cards, some will even send you a permanent card with your name on it, address association, etc.

      Cash Advance does it, as well as Payday Loans.

    • reaper527, on 05/14/2008, -0/+3i've used my debit card on xbox live for about 5 years
    • Tahiri, on 05/14/2008, -0/+4XBL supported debit on the first XBOX.

      Except in Canada
    • p0tent1al, on 05/17/2008, -0/+1Debit cards work

      and ***** Paypal
    • TheTjalian, on 05/17/2008, -0/+1Hmm, my debit card is a Maestro, which even though is a subset of Mastercard it still won't work. I'll have to contact my bank. Thanks for the idea!
  • fani, on 05/14/2008, -2/+7Have they fixed this -
    If I unplug my headset from the controller more than 3 times, I can no longer voice chat. I can hear the other side from my main speakers, but headset becomes useless.
    I have to reboot the console to reenable it.
  • OdinsFury, on 05/14/2008, -6/+3This is a pretty big list, I'd be surprised if all these were true. I hope most of them are true minus the motion sensing.
  • GlitchEnzo, on 05/14/2008, -0/+62"Option to delete titles from gamercard with 0 gamerscore and 0 achievements (excludes some titles that will be re-added to launch another title)."

    Finally! I was sick of all of those Live Arcade demos being on my gamercard.
    • Sabredog, on 05/14/2008, -0/+21I just didn't want people knowing I had played Vampire Rain.
    • reaper527, on 05/14/2008, -5/+3this is for retail games with 0 points. they removed live arcade demos in one of the previous updates (i think it was either spring 07 or fall 07
      • Tahiri, on 05/14/2008, -0/+9Only on demos you played after the update
  • bagofbeef, on 05/14/2008, -1/+35Please let there be .mkv support....
    • crashcarstar, on 05/14/2008, -0/+5Yeah seriously.
    • BraveQuail, on 05/14/2008, -2/+4sadly it will not happen in the near future
    • SPARTACVS, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2Before people were saying that they wouldn't add DivX and Xvid support because that's what everyone used for movie torrents and they have their own download service... then as soon as people started getting into HD .mkv movies and TV shows, they added DivX support. Microsoft is pretty sneaky about it and I think are smarter about protecting the integrity of their XBLM movies and TV shows while adding "requested" features than people give them credit for. I'm sure as soon as people start getting excited about some NEW codec that lets them get even better quality for their filesize on HD torrents, MS will throw in .mkv support.
  • AndrewDB, on 05/14/2008, -4/+4Rather than request a feature (and make myself look like a total ass if it does exist..) , does anyone know if it already exists:

    How do I stop my 360 from trying to connect to MSN messenger whenever it starts?
    • plizard, on 05/14/2008, -0/+11chat preferences
    • postalblowfish7, on 05/14/2008, -14/+4lol - sounds like a post by a soccer mom in a windows XP message board. i can't believe you people still buy into the fantasy that the 360 is a gaming console and not a 3-year-old hunk of PC trash.

      the more you bury me the more potent my truth becomes.
      • Remmiz, on 05/14/2008, -0/+8this doesnt even make sense.
      • BerenTW, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1ya doesn't make much sense as the PS3 specs were laid down at the same time as the 360. The extra year wasn't them upgrading the specs or anything.. it was all blu ray related.
  • nickj6282, on 05/14/2008, -0/+23This list is great. It addresses most of my concerns with the 360. The one glaring item that's missing from this update is 16:10 display support.
    • cawpin, on 05/14/2008, -13/+5WTF? Why do you want 16:10? Are you using a 19" monitor or something? Who uses a computer monitor for a console?
      • oxymoron69, on 05/14/2008, -1/+12I do, and many of my friends do as well....
        I think it comes from being a PC gamer originally, you NEED your face right in the action lol
      • nickj6282, on 05/14/2008, -0/+9I use my 19" widescreen monitor at LAN parties and when my wife takes over the TV to watch Dancing with the Stars.
      • Appleologist, on 05/15/2008, -0/+3I do.
      • bengringo, on 05/15/2008, -0/+3because it's a cheaper alternative to an HDTV.
  • iperalta, on 05/14/2008, -1/+3please be true.
  • Blitzenn, on 05/14/2008, -9/+2"Microsoft is planning to introduce a motion controller for Xbox"
    hmm. I am confused now. Are they introducing a Motion Sensor OR a Motion Controller. There is a significant difference between the two. I will assume the submitter is an idiot and means a Motion Sensor.
  • jsalame, on 05/14/2008, -0/+4oh i just wish... they ínclude the .MKV , so we can all see our videos directly, without converting.
    Also, i think its a big plus that includes the copy from usb storage devices to the xbox hard drive... i have always tried to do that, and never could... any dates for this update, anyone???
  • jsalame, on 05/14/2008, -4/+4Oh, and one more thing... please the iphone/ipod touch compatibility... i cant play my music in the xbox!!!!... well, hopefully it will be on the final list.
    • PINTHEWIND, on 05/14/2008, -9/+2No, they're adding that compatibility the same day that Microsoft releases Windows for Mac.
      • postalblowfish7, on 05/14/2008, -1/+5um, you can already install windows on a Mac...
    • postalblowfish7, on 05/14/2008, -1/+4i wouldn't hold my breath - just stick with a M$ zune! those things are sooooo brown!
    • BerenTW, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1totally. It sucks that it supports the crappy ipods, but not the touch.
  • CarzorStelatis, on 05/14/2008, -6/+2The 360 motion controller won't be Wii-like motion sensing, it'll be a "moving/not moving" sensor that will probably duplicate the function of one of the existing buttons so that games can be backwards-compatible with existing controls. Maybe instead of pressing Left Bumper to go into cover in a shooter, you'd shake the control.
    • zer0hour, on 05/14/2008, -0/+1i honestly hope your joking.
      "Maybe instead of pressing Left Bumper to go into cover in a shooter, you'd shake the control"
      ^ literally the stupidest thing i've heard in weeks ^
  • Manhunt545, on 05/14/2008, -1/+8Just add mkv support and/or increase the file limit of h264 videos from 4gb to 8gb and I'll be happy
  • coolearl, on 05/14/2008, -0/+10Why can't we just get support for external hard drives using NTFS support? Video files over 4 gigs FTW!!!
    • Enochrewt, on 05/14/2008, -2/+8No kidding. I called Xbox support over this one. I don't see how they could use FAT32 over NTFS in their next-gen console. I had to reformat the thing just to get it to work.

      Xbox support couldn't even understand the difference between the 360 HDD and an external HD when I called them BTW. All the way up to a supervisor. As for explaining NTFS to them? forgetaboutit.
    • mattyice11, on 05/14/2008, -0/+2Format your external drive to HFS+ and enjoy your larger videos now.
    • coolearl, on 05/14/2008, -0/+1Yea, I tried HFS+. Is the only way to move files via Windows still MacDrive? It was very unstable for me in XP.
  • forceuser, on 05/14/2008, -0/+95. Introduce a group chat (4) for Private Chat and conferences through Video Chat.

    Finally, I hated only being able to voice chat with one other person.
  • oceanographer, on 05/14/2008, -0/+4group private chat! thank you, rock god
  • lektroluv, on 05/14/2008, -0/+11Private chat with more than one person will be awesome. Finally I can block out all the kids talking *****, but still talk to my friends.
  • sully213, on 05/14/2008, -4/+1What? No video podcast love? How am I going to watch Diggnation!?!?
  • hasslinthehoff, on 05/14/2008, -0/+19Being able to block diaper snipers and annoying tweenies who sing on Live for entire sessions would be nice...
    • SuperVepr308, on 05/14/2008, -0/+16Just mute them and make them an avoided player.
      • Cloud7654, on 05/14/2008, -0/+4Yes but then you have to do that to everyone you come across. It would be better to be able to universally block all players that are under 18.
  • VirusUK, on 05/14/2008, -0/+7Let's hope they take notes from the XBMC software.
    • p0tent1al, on 05/17/2008, -0/+1yep, just like I hope I'm going to win the lottery this week
  • ma5t3rw1tt, on 05/14/2008, -0/+1One of the features where you can disable the friends showing online popup is going to be cool. Don't know how many times one of my friends starts signing on and off annoying the hell out of anyone currently online with that stupid popup. Very annoying.
  • redrighthand, on 05/14/2008, -1/+4The music player really needs an overhaul, why can't it occupy a small opaque window at the bottom instead of covering 1/3 of the gaming window in a full blade?
    • Thorpe, on 05/14/2008, -0/+1Yes - and one thing that really annoys me is you can rewind/fast-forward a track.
  • SuperVepr308, on 05/14/2008, -0/+2I love the 360 and Live as is but anything can stand a little tweaking. The scroll feature would be kind of nice.
  • Skizzlizzit, on 05/14/2008, -2/+3If the updates are true I'll be happy, but it aggravates me that Microsoft comes out with a basic package and then makes you pay for the add-ons later on. All these additions means more hardware to purchase. Bigger hard drives, controllers, possible blu-ray external disk drive (That rumor is so hot and cold I almost don't want to hear about it anymore until it comes out), HDMI cables etc.
    • Rioracer916, on 05/14/2008, -2/+1Dude, if you want the functionality...pay for it. If you don't...don't buy it!

      Personally I don't want a next generation DVD player. I'm glad MS gave us the option not to buy one. I plan on not buying the motion controller as well.

      However If I choose to buy a model of the Xbox 360 with a hard drive, it better damn well make some use of it. Otherwise I might as well have bought an Arcade with a memory card and saved some money.

      Glad MS is getting into the added value mindset. As it stands right now, to the average GAMER there is no practical use for the hard drive other than Xbox Classics. You can store all Live Arcade games on memory cards.

      Meanwhile the PS3 has the pop-up free version of GTA IV because it leverages the faster loading time that the hard drive provides over Blu-ray and DVD.
  • Barnolde, on 05/14/2008, -1/+9Copying video to the HDD? About time. I feel bad for all the people who bought that overpriced 120GB HDD and can't even put their own video on it. Now if they let you copy files over the network like PS3, that'd be amazing.

    Also, yay for installs.
  • HumanRecall, on 05/14/2008, -4/+174 Minor requests

    How about something different and simple like changing the back ground on the seperate blades ! Kinda dumb to allow us customize /change the background if it's only the same on every blade !

    Also is it too much to ask to get a web browser? I'm kinda ticked that if i don't own a PC i'm screwed route as the PS3 has a linux/browser hell the PSP has one !! The dam Nintendo Wii has one for petes sake !

    It's it time to software install browsing capibilities?

    I would really love to see other formats and allowed to be played on the 360 and or extract ir put in video to the machine more easily than having to use Transcode360 everytime !!!

    DROP REGION CODING/DRM *****
    Give CANADA the same content and footage access as the U.S !!! WE ALL ARE AMERICANS ! WE LIVE IN NORTH AMERICA

    UNITIED STATES AND CANADA SHARE THE SAME SPACE !!
    • matthewkg, on 05/14/2008, -1/+11Yes we want the same content and footage access, but please, we Canadians are NOT Americans in any way, shape or form.
      • HumanRecall, on 05/15/2008, -3/+1I here you on this but are are all Americans as we all live in North America sames goes for South America Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Columbia etc We all live in the Americas -hence we are all AMERICAN!

        The misconception is everyone dubs the once 13 British Colonies turned UNITED STATES as exclusively AMERICA - sorry they are The United States " OF " " AMERICA" as in regrardless they are the only country named after the dam contient they are The United States...............

        Me and we care living in CANADA are dubbed CANADIANS ! In Canada we have Provinces not States ..so it would be kind of stupid to dub Canada.... The Canadian Provinces of America No our Country is Canada but we all live in North America Hence we are all AMERICAN -sorry thems the facts and the breaks {shrugs}
    • sup3rnautx, on 05/14/2008, -4/+1bwahaha no canadiannns!!! we demand your bacon and you must cease your immigration immediately!

      j/k :)
    • celkin, on 05/15/2008, -1/+4Do we really want Internet Explorer on a game console? :(
      • HumanRecall, on 05/15/2008, -1/+1no but the option to have any ind of browser woudl be fine - Windows Live ! or Firefox , Netscape etc!!

        BTW Diggtards digg me down all you want for the history OWNAGE i just giave you in regions ! WE ARE ALL AMERICANS !

        IF you live in the continent you are what the place is NORTH or SOUTH .AMERICA !! PERIOD !
  • suttercain, on 05/14/2008, -2/+3"5. Introduce a group chat (4) for Private Chat and conferences through Video Chat." About fricking time!

    I did notice though, they are not adding a feature to fast forward audio yet?!?!?! I have been pleading with them for two years to do this! I listen to audio books and have to restart thema ll the time because I can't fast-forward.
  • exomni, on 05/14/2008, -2/+8"Game install" would do away with any need for a Blu-Ray drive for the rest of the 360's product cycle.

    Just toss any extra content on a second "install" disk and you'd never have to switch disks.
    • petard, on 05/14/2008, -0/+6not everyone has a hard drive. Microsoft being the geniuses they were made a hard drive optional.
    • Tahiri, on 05/14/2008, -0/+2No it wouldn't. 99% of 360 owners have the 20 GB drive, which only has 13 GB usable, and even that will be mostly full of demos/XBLA/movies/music by now. This would be nigh unusable/useless to the majority. Bluray is still needed
    • Sentra122, on 05/14/2008, -1/+1But you can always buy a drive or a larger one...One massive 'gotta have it' title comes out for the 360 that must have a HDD for a large install and see how many people upgrade. I for one agree with exomni and hope MS and other developers realize this as an option to bypass the DVD size limitations...
  • smergs, on 05/14/2008, -0/+8I'm a big fan of the 360 (only console of this gen that I own) but why are you people taking these rumors to be true? I keep seeing "Oh finally! I've been waiting for x feature. This will be great" These are still rumors people. You might be setting yourself up for disappointment.
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